


Black Dog

by Sueperb



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-25
Updated: 2019-10-25
Packaged: 2020-03-14 16:29:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 4,843
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18951799
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sueperb/pseuds/Sueperb
Summary: When Sirius discovered Led Zeppelin.





	1. Chapter 1

It had been a pretty shitty summer, Mary MacDonald thought as she made her way out of the Gryffindor common room after dinner. An educational summer, some would say. Cathartic perhaps. Liberating, heart-breaking. Sad, definitely.

After years of keeping secrets, Mary was back at Hogwarts for her final year, not exactly sure who she was and how she fit in the magic world but knowing that her bridges were well and truly burnt.

Her summer funk was about to come to an end however, or so Lily had promised. “Come to the office tonight, bring your collection.” Her collection was the most muggle thing about Mary, the one thing she would never give up. Why it would be useful in the shared Head Boy and Girl office was anyone’s guess. Mary knew full well - as did Lily - that muggle contraptions couldn’t work within Hogwarts.

She finally reached the office door and knocked. She barely had time to get her thick brown hair out of her eyes when Lily opened the door one inch. Her green eyes inspected Mary’s large shoulder bag inquisitively. “Good, you brought them” she nodded.  
“You asked me to.” Mary answered.

“I know. Come on, come see what I found.” There was a childish grin on Lily’s face as she opened the door wider. At first glance, the office was the same as it had been for the last three weeks. An average-sized room with two large windows, two matching desks and chairs, a large, old, faded, green sofa, a couple of armchairs and bookshelves everywhere.  
Except today something was different. Behind the sofa a space had been made for a rickety table on which stood… a record player. A real honest-to-god record player.  
Mary knew instantly that it would work. The large brass flaring horn was a sure sign that the object was wizard-made.

“Oh my god, Lily.”

“I know” Lily was beaming.

“Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god”

“I know.”

“How did you…?” Mary was lost for words.

“The house-elves. And Susan Stebbins taught me a spell to make it play muggle records.” Lily opened her left arm towards the record player “It’s all yours.” she added.

Mary nearly ran towards it. She couldn’t take her eyes off it. Lily’s contagious happiness was starting to seep through her gloom. She was about to hear music.

“So, which one will it be?” Lily had crossed the room too and come to rest on the back of the sofa, one hand each side of her. “One, two, three, four?… Graffiti?” Mary gave a laugh.

“You know me too well!”

Which one would it be? Mary bent down and opened her bag. She flipped through the large square album covers.

“It has to be something loud and wild otherwise there’s no point.” One, two, three… “That one.” she said as she picked an album, stood back up, slid the record out of its sleeve and threw the cover on the table. “Ready?” she asked Lily who nodded enthusiastically back to her.

She set the record on the player, delicately adjusting the stylus to the edge of the black disc. Her focused face lit up the second sound emerged from the horn. A few hesitant guitar chords first, then a confident high-pitched call and finally the sound of a loud electric guitar and drums tore through the room. Mary sat next to Lily and closed her eyes. She was home.

“How are you feeling?” asked Lily

“Amazing. Thanks, Lil’ this is going to make this year so much better.”

“I’m glad to hear it. You’re welcome to use the room whenever you want.”

“Yeah? You’re sure Potter won’t mind?”

“What won’t Potter mind ?” asked an unmistakably male voice. Both girls whipped around. James Potter himself was coming into the room, followed by his apparently undetachable friends, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin and Peter Pettigrew. Lily let out a groan “Potter, can’t you…”

“No. Shan’t” he cut her off. “I’m allowed the use of this room as much as you are. Isn’t that great?” he added with a grin as he slouched down into one of the armchairs. Pettigrew sat down in the other one and Black spread himself out lazily on the couch, hands behind his head. Lupin had chosen a desk chair and was looking thoughtfully out the window.  
Lupin and Pettigrew, she didn’t mind. They were friendly and polite and they had had the odd conversations over the years.  
But Potter and Black were two of the most arrogant students in the school. They were both pure-bloods and their evident sense of belonging was alien to her. Even though they had shared lessons and a common room for six years they knew little of each other. Potter saw her as Lily’s quiet friend and Black only registered girls if they were single and easily-impressed.  
And now they were here. Ruining her peace.

“So, what won’t I mind?” Potter asked again.

“The music” answered Mary.

“I don’t mind it” said Sirius with a sliver of a smile “You have decent taste, Evans” he seemed genuinely surprised “What is this song?”

“Ok, a- it’s my record and b- your opinion is irrelevant. Literally, nobody asked.” retorted Mary.

Lupin let out a low whistle.

“Ouch” said James “right in the ego. Nice shot, Mary!”

“No need to bite, MacDonald.” Sirius reacted. He sat up but from her perch on the back of the sofa she was still looking down at him. “I was complimenting your taste.” She could see that he was wounded. It can’t do him any harm, she thought. She got up, stopped the music and put the record away.

“I get that but as I said, it’s irrelevant. Not every woman needs to feel validated by you” she said.

Lily stood up and added “Yeah, women… and Potter”. Mary cheered and high-fived her best friend. The boys were all laughing, except for Sirius who looked stunned. Lily and Mary grabbed their bags and made their way out. They were nearly at the door when Sirius seemed to recover his faculties.

“Can you at least tell me the name of that song?” he shouted. Mary hesitated in the doorway and turned around “It’s a Led Zeppelin song. It’s called Black Dog.”


	2. Dog fight

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bear with me. I'm not quite sure where this is going yet.

“Hello there, MacDonald”. Sirius said, sliding effortlessly into the seat opposite hers. Mary barely looked up from her transfiguration essay. She had been sitting in the library for an hour already and was working on her conclusion. Now was not the time to be distracted.

“What do you want?” she whispered curtly.

“To feel loved and valued” he replied with a disarming smile in an equally low voice “that’s obviously why I came to you”.

She had to stop herself from smiling back. If he weren’t such an arrogant arse, she thought, he would actually be quite fun to be friends with. Mary appreciated wit and Sirius Black was a worthy opponent.  
She knew better than to give him the satisfaction however, and chose instead to sigh with impatience.

“Lily’s not here. Neither is James and I have an essay to finish so I would really “value” some alone time right now and “love” to see you walk away.”

“You’d love to see me walk away? I bet you would.” he winked, a playful smile on his lips.

“That’s not what I… oh alright, what do you want ?” she asked, not unkindly this time, aware that he had bested her.

Sirius sat up straighter in his chair, hands together on the table in a businesslike manner. He leaned forward, bringing his head closer to hers and whispered “Do you remember the song you played in the Office last week? The one about the Black Dog? I want to hear it again.”

“It’s not about a Black Dog. It’s just called Black Dog.”

“Oh” He frowned “What is it about then?”. He looked genuinely interested.

She held his gaze, waiting to see if he would smile, if he was trying to trick her, but he didn’t and he wasn’t. He hadn’t heard enough of the song. He didn’t know what it was about.

She leant forward in her seat and as she brought her head close to his with a conspiratorial smile, she whispered “It’s about sex.”

For a second he didn’t move. Their heads were inches apart and his eyes were searching hers, startled.  
She pulled back triumphantly. She thought she’d managed to shut him up, a first in Hogwarts history, but it took more than sex to unsettle Sirius Black.

“So… definitely no dogs then?” he asked lightly.

“Well, depends what you’re into…” she added on the same tone.

They both started to shake with laughter. The enforced silence of the library made it harder to keep quiet and Mary noticed a few heads turning their way, some annoyed at the disruption and some no doubt curious.   
She recognised two Seventh Year Ravenclaw girls watching them from the next table. Were they surprised to see her laugh for the first time in weeks? No, she realised. They were looking at Sirius and the girl he was laughing with, and wondering what it meant.

The thought was sobering. She found her composure, picked up her quill and attempted to focus back on her essay. 

“You need to go now. I need to finish this.”

“OK, but only if you promise that I’ll get to hear that song again.”

“It’s a big world full of music, Sirius, you probably will.”

“I meant…”

“I know what you meant, but you can’t make me, so no.” She smiled defiantly.

“Why not?” He was not used to rejection, that much was plain to see.  
“Because music is best enjoyed alone.”  
He dismissed her with a wave of his hand, his eyes scanning the table. “I can make you play it again, and I will. I can be very persuasive when I want to.”

“Suuuuure, now go away.”

“Yes, ma’am. I’ll take that with me though, if you don’t mind”. She looked up from her essay as he was getting up, her favourite quill in his hand. “you can have it back when I hear that song.”

“Give that back!” she whispered as loudly as she could. He winked and turned around. “Sirius!”. But he had already gone up the aisle and out of the library. There was no point chasing him and causing a scene.

The two Ravenclaws had started whispering to each other, their eyes on Mary.

 

***

When Mary entered the dormitory some time later it was empty except for Lily who was busy writing a letter on her bed.

“Hey, did you finish your essay?” she asked.

“Yes, finally!” answered Mary, letting herself fall spread eagled on her bed. “I can’t believe it’s taken me all week. I’m really rubbish at Transfiguration.”

“You’re not. You just need time, is all. But well-done for finishing it. How about we celebrate with dinner?”

Mary laughed into her pillows. She turned her head towards Lily “Sorry I took so long, I didn’t realise how hungry you’d be.”

“I am always hungry, never forget it!” She laughed back. “Anyway, it’s nice to see you laugh, the library did you good.”

“Yeah…” Mary replied pensively “It did.”

Lily tidied her writing things away and got off her bed. She turned to Mary “Come on now, get up, I need food.”

“Yes, yes. I’m coming”. She pulled herself up and together they left the dormitory.

“Who were you writing to?” Mary asked as they went down the spiral staircase to the common room.

“It’s a letter to the Ministry asking for a summer internship.”

“Lily, it’s October!”

“It’s never too early. Anyway, I’m still drafting it. Hey! When I’m done, can I borrow your peacock quill? For the finished version? It makes my handwriting look really neat.”

“Erm… yeah, depends when it is. I’ve lent it to someone.” “Damn you, Black”, Mary though to herself.

Lily stopped dead outside the portrait of the fat lady “You lent your peacock quill to someone?”

“Yeah… just now.” Mary was avoiding Lily’s gaze.

“Your favourite one that has ‘ramble on’ engraved on the pen?”

“Yeaaaah. So? Someone needed it” she shrugged.

“Who?” Lily narrowed her eyes. 

“Who cares? Let’s get food, I’m starving”. And she walked off down the corridor.

Lily caught up with her and hooked her arm onto Mary’s “Sorry, hunger induced paranoia.”

“That’s quite ok, Miss Evans.” Mary replied patting Lily’s cheek with her other arms “It happens to the best of us”.

Mary couldn’t bring herself to tell Lily about Sirius. It felt like this fight was between the two of them.


	3. Chapter 3

The next lesson most of the Gryffindors had in common, Charms, took place four days later and it didn’t take long for Lily to catch up on the situation.  
As they were all watching Professor Flitwick demonstrate the Protean Charm, movement caught her eye to her left. Sirius Black, lounging in his chair at the end of the row ahead, absent-mindedly twirling the silver handle of a very familiar peacock quill on his thumb. Lily’s eyes widened in shock. Sirius Black ?! She had accepted the concept of generous, helpful Mary lending her quill to a person in need but Sirius Black?? Mary might be kind but she was not a fool and she was no fan of Sirius’. Or was she ?  
Trying to be as discreet as possible, she nudged Mary’s elbow and looked pointedly in Sirius’ direction. Puzzled, Mary followed her gaze and… was it Lily’s imagination or did her friend blush slightly? Mary looked back at her with an air of awkward innocence. She closed her eyes and shrugged as if to say “don’t ask” and looked back down at her notes, resolutely avoiding making eye contact with anyone.

‘The plot thickens’ thought Lily. James was sat next to Sirius. She’d wait for him to turn around and look at her, which he always did, at some point. Predictably, she only had to wait two minutes. She caught his eye, pointed to her own quill and nodded in Sirius’ direction. Like Mary, James looked confused until he understood what she meant. Everybody knew that particular quill, everybody in their year had envied it at some point. James turned back towards her with a look of wonder and glee. He wiggled his eyebrows and mouthed ‘well, well, well…’. If James didn’t know about it, thought Lily, there was definitely something fishy going on there. Although she would enjoy speculating on Sirius’ love life with James, she was worried. She had no thought to spare for the idiots who fell so easily for Black’s charms and got their hearts broken in a week, but Mary was different. She was her best friend, she was much too smart and much too special to fall for him. Not to mention much too slowly getting over her breakup.

Professor Flitiwck finished his explanation and they started practising in pairs. The noisy environment this created allowed for conversation and Lily pounced at the first opportunity. ‘So, you’re going to tell me why you lent your quill to Sirius?’

‘I didn’t lend it to him.’ Mary answered dejectedly. ‘He took it.’

‘Ok. Why? When? Where? But mostly why?’ Lily asked.

‘In the library, last week, when I was working on my transfiguration essay. And because he can, I suppose.’

‘Just like that? He didn’t say if he’d give it back?’

‘Well… sort of. He said I need to…’ she stopped, hesitating.

‘Need to what?’ Lily’s temper was rising, imagining the worst. ‘Is he trying to make you do something you don’t want? Do you want me to curse him? I can talk to James if you want.’

Mary laughed and raised her eyebrows ‘Any chance to talk to James, eh?’ Lily looked like she would retort but Mary cut her off ’You know I’d curse him myself if I wanted to. He just wants me to play him some of my music, but, as you know, I don’t really like to share that particular hobby so I said no.’

‘Oh. I see.’ Lily frowned. ‘Why is he interested, though? It’s muggle music.’

Mary shrugged. ’You know he has that bike, right? Led Zeppelin isn’t a great leap.’

‘Fair enough. Well, you keep denying him. It can only do him good.’

‘Yeah, but I’d like my quill back eventually. Dad will notice if I don’t use it in my next letter.’

’Leave it with me’ Lily added ominously, a plan forming in her head.

 

Their next lesson was Transfiguration and Professor McGonagall announced that she would be handing back their last essay. ‘I have graded you like I would a NEWT paper. Those of you who did not manage a pass, I will ask you to resubmit your work for next week. I will also accept resubmission from anyone who achieved Acceptable. This process will be repeated with all your subsequent essays until your exam next June.’

This statement was welcomed with a general groan from the class. Lily watched on eagerly as the papers made their way to their owners. She attributed James and Sirius’ smug smiles to Outstanding grades and Peter’s deception to a fail. Her own essay had received Exceeds Expectation but Mary’s bore an A.

‘Well done’ Lily cheered on.

‘Acceptable?’ Mary looked miserably at her paper ‘I spent a week on it. I can’t do better than that.’

‘Well, you can still resubmit it. I can help you if you want’

‘Oh, thanks Lil’, but neither of us would have time’

It broke Lily’s heart to see her best friend so sad when her mood had slowly been improving. The plan she had been devising to get Mary’s quill back so far included a fair amount of beating Sirius around the head with a sharp object until he submitted. In light of the essay results, she decided to change tack.

‘I’ll tell you what. Go to the Office after lunch. Put some music on, reread your essay and look at your feedback. James and I have Runes, we won’t be in your way. It’ll give you time to decide if you want to resubmit it or not.’

Mary leaned against her best friend and gave her shoulder a bump ’Thanks, you always have the best ideas’.


	4. Chapter 4

He felt the pain before he saw her coming. Her fingers pulling at his hair, stopping him in his tracks until his head bent backward.

‘Aaaaaargh. What the…’

Lily threw him against the corridor wall, one hand on his chest, the other holding her wand pointed at his nose, making him squint. ’Listen to me, Black. Whatever you were planning on doing with your free time can wait. You’re going to do exactly what I ask you to or…’ she hesitated ‘…I’ll cut your hair!’

‘You wouldn’t?’ The thought was horrifying. Whatever had gotten into her?

‘Say it!’

‘I’ll do whatever you ask. Weirdo.’ he added for good measure.

‘Right. You’re going to go to the Head Students’ Office, you’re going to help Mary with her Transfiguration essay, you’re going to give her her quill back, you’re not going to ask for anything in exchange and you’re going to act like a responsible adult capable of empathy for once in your life!’ She had said it all in one breath, her green eyes boring into his. If he didn’t know her better, Sirius would almost be scared.

‘You’re a crazy woman.’

‘SIRIUS!’

‘Alright! I will!’ She let go of him and he rolled his eyes at her. ‘I’d have done it if you’d asked nicely, you know. No need for violence.’

‘Maybe you would have, but I don’t trust you. And neither does she. Don’t forget that.’

And with that she was off to her next lesson, leaving Sirius to straighten his collar and recover his pride.

 

When he reached the Office, Mary was sat at Lily’s desk, looking out the window with her back to him. The record player was on, alternatively slow and fast guitar filling the air. She didn’t hear him come in.

‘So, what’s that one called ?’

She jumped and turned around, hastily wiping her eyes with her right sleeve. ‘What are you doing here?’  
He was tempted to ignore her question. He wanted to tease her about the song instead, until she grudgingly answered him. He wanted to see her smile at him and argue like she had in the library. He wanted to make her laugh and wipe those tears himself. ‘Responsible adult capable of empathy’ he reminded himself.

’I…’ he started. But what would a responsible adult say? Then he remembered Lily’s words ‘I don’t trust you and neither does she.’ Just be nice. ‘I came to give you your quill back.’ He went over to her desk, taking the quill carefully out of his bag. ‘There you go.’

‘Just like that?’ she took it with a frown but her mind was obviously still on something else.

‘Yep. You’re going to need it for your resubmission.’ he sat on the desk and picked up her Transfiguration essay which was lying there.

‘Oh don’t! Your judgment is the last thing I need right now.’ She buried her head in her arms with an annoyed groan.

He ignored her and read on, his head tilting every so often to decipher McGonagall’s comments in the margin. Once he was done he put it back on the desk and pointed backwards at the record player with his thumb.

‘Right, you need to turn that thing off because we’re going to the library.’

She looked up. ’Is my essay so bad you just grew a sense of altruism?’ she scoffed.

He laughed at that. Funny, biting Mary was back and he didn’t even have to pull her pigtails.

‘Nah, it’s ok really. I mean, it can be improved and we’ll improve it, but it’s still ok.’

‘We?’ she raised her eyebrows.

‘Yes, we. I’m helping you. Deal with it.’ He got off the desk and made for the door. He was halfway through the room when she called out to him.

‘What did Lily say she’d do to you?’

He stopped and turned around slowly. To his surprise, a smile was playing on Mary’s lips. He smiled back and closed his eyes. ‘She said she’d cut my hair’. Mary bit back a laugh and nodded. She stopped the music with a wave of her wand, grabbed her stuff and walked towards the door. As she drew level with him she put a hand in his hair and tussled it gently. ’What is and what should never be. That’s the name of the song.’ she added to his puzzled look.

He followed her out of the room, his scalp still tingling where her hand had just been.


	5. Chapter 5

They had worked for two hours straight. Sirius pulling out books after books from the library shelves and explaining passages to her. They were so focused on the essay that they had eschewed any other topic of conversation, ploughing on, unconcerned with the world around them.  
Finally, by the time the library was emptying for dinner, Mary finished writing her last sentence with a flourish. She sat back in her chair with a sigh of relief. 

‘If that doesn’t get me at least an Exceeds Expectation, I’m willing to kiss Peeves!’ she whispered. Sirius let out a muffled laugh. ‘Will he be willing to kiss you back, though?’ he responded with mock concern.

’Oi! He’d be lucky!’

‘Yeah? And what would Muggle Boy say to that?’ he looked the picture of relaxation, lounging in his chair but there was a note of expectancy in his question.

‘Muggle B…? Oh.’ he meant Stephen. She hesitated for a second, used as she was to avoid the subject, but realised that she was OK. She had made the choices she had so she could embrace being a witch full time. And that meant confiding in her wizard friends. ‘He’d say, ‘we haven’t talked since you broke up with me two months ago. You can kiss all the poltergeists in the world for all I care’. Or something similar.’

‘I see. I didn’t know, sorry.’

She shrugged and looked away. ‘It doesn’t matter. It wasn’t much fun hiding the magic from him in the end. It drove us apart.’

In the silence that followed, Mary reflected that if Sirius really didn’t know about her breakup then he’d been talking to her out of genuine interest for music and not as an excuse to chat her up. This rare insight into Sirius’ character cheered her up somehow. He had treated her less like a pawn and more like an equal.

‘It’s hard feeling like the odd one out. You want to embrace your difference and show it to them but sometimes you wonder if you really can. If it wouldn’t be easier to stop fighting and be who they want you to be.’ He had said it more to himself but the words resonated with her. She smiled at him.

‘Thanks.’ she said slowly. ‘And thanks for this’ she pointed at her essay. ‘You are different from them, Sirius. You’re selfless and you’re caring. You just ought to show it more, that’s all.’ she added the last bit with a grin.

As they left the library, she made up her mind. ‘Come to the Office after dinner. I’ll play you that song.’

***

Lily had said they could have the room. Something about going for a walk around the lake with James. She would be duly tortured on the subject at a later time. Mary barely had to wait for Sirius, she’d asked for a five minutes head start so she could set up the record player, and, although she had not told him as much, so they would avoid gossip by not leaving the Great Hall together. She was ready for him when he got there, half perched on the back of the sofa, hand on the needle.

’Sit’ she asked bossily.

‘Yes, Ma’am’. He did as she asked, stretching himself elegantly across half the couch, as he had done a few weeks ago.

‘Right. Here are the rules: When the music start you can’t talk, you can’t move, you can’t make a noise.’ He nodded. She bent over and placed the needle delicately at the edge of the record. Instantly static came out of the horn. She straightened up, pulled her legs up, turned around and let herself fall on the cushion next to Sirius’s, legs curled up under her.

Hey, hey, mama, said the way you moveGonna make you sweat, gonna make you groove

He had closed his eyes to better take in the song. She was fixing him, trying to gage his reaction.  
Ah, ah, child, way you shake that thingGonna make you burn, gonna make you sting

The tone of the song was becoming more and more obvious to her as she took in the forearms coming out of his rolled up shirt sleeves.  
Hey, hey, baby, when you walk that wayWatch your honey drip, I can't keep away

She had to look away from his body. She closed her eyes and tried to concentrate on the song but the lyrics weren’t helping.

I gotta roll I can't stand still  
Got a flamin' heart can't get my fill

She felt the couch springs shift under her and opened her eyes. Sirius had sat up and was looking at her, his usual smirk firmly on. Except it wasn’t a smirk anymore. It had suddenly become the most enticing smile. He was playing by the rules, not talking, not moving, not making a noise. Instead he was just looking at her.

With eyes that shine, burnin' red  
Dreams of you all through my head

She was trapped in his gaze and she couldn’t move. And she found that she didn’t want to. When he brought his head closer, it was the simplest thing to mirror him. The kiss felt like a long drink of water after a drought to Mary, without realising it she’d wanted it for weeks. His hand on her cheek, hers in his hair, their tongues teasing and playing like they had during their battles of wit.  
The song finished and another one started, faster and louder. Sirius, seeming to take his queue from the music, lowered his hands to her waist, untucking her shirt, his lips greedier. The feel of his hands on her skin woke Mary up from her trance. This was too much, too soon. She didn’t want to stop but she had to. She quickly unhooked herself from him and got off the couch.

‘I, erm…’ she started, she couldn’t look him in the eyes.

‘I’m sorry !’

‘I’ll see you in class.’ she added, somewhat lamely. She grabbed her bag and left, not sure what had just happened nor how she felt about it. All she could hear above the chatter in her mind was Sirius calling her down the corridor.

‘Mary, come back, I’m sorry!’


End file.
